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Show Ecological Risk Assessment Northern Oquirrh Mountains 2. 1.2.2 Sampling Design selected based on the following criteria: 1) sites must not be in Sampling of sites should be as characteristics habitat zones zones or remediated 2) operational should be sites similar as possible to all other sites and 3) large enough to accommodate a small mammal trapping grid and soil sample grid. All sampling sites were relatively open areas in the lower elevation of each canyon with a mixture of grasses, forbs, and shrubby cover. Photographs of sampling sites of Coon (Figure 11), Little Valley (Figure 12), Kessler (Figure 13), Black Rock (Figure 14), and Pine Canyons (Figure 15) provide a visual comparison of the habitat features on each site and the surrounding geographical features. sites were All collections at the sampling sites were made within a five-day period in May, 1995. Soil, small mammal and invertebrate samples were collected 8-12 May in Coon Canyon and Little Valley Wash, 15-19 May in Black Rock and Kessler Canyons, and 22-26 May in Pine Canyon. Vegetation samples and Releve data were collected 20-26 May at all sampling sites. Because of the small amount of invertebrate biomass collected by sweepnets in May, foliar invertebrate samples were collected again at all sampling sites on 22 and 25 June, 1995. 2. 1.2.3 Overview of Sample Collection Methods Each sampling site was 135 x 135 m (1.82 ha) based on the dimensions of a small mammal trapping grid of 10 x 10 trap locations with a 15 m intertrap spacing, except at two sites where the terrain did not permit a square grid. Assuming a 7.5 m border around the perimeter, this would equate to a 2.25 ha effective trapping area. The trapping grid at KC1 was modified to an 8 x 13 grid with only 4 traps in the 13th row because it was located at the bottom of a narrow canyon with steep, sparsely vegetated walls. The trapping grid at PC2 was elongated because it was located on top of a narrow ridge with steep slopes on each side. The 100 trap-station grid was 17 rows with 4 to 7 columns. ecological planning and toxicology, inc. 27 |
